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Thursday, December 8, 2016

Candy from a stranger

Would you? Take candy from a stranger? And then follow them to another location out of curiosity?
Sounds like the plot from a horror film. And yet.......

I realize this seems like a lure, but I promise, no malware lurking while I paint something sweet on Periscope today.

That's what happens all the time on social media. A common malady on today's social media is "comment spam". Has this happened to you:

You open your blog and see that you have a new comment or two. As you start reading a compliment about your content, images, etc. you begin to feel gratified that someone has taken the time to communicate their appreciation. Then annoyance and disappointment set in. There are two suspicious links and a request to visit their website for thousands of free followers on your Instagram or blog. It's a little like taking candy from a stranger. Don't click the links in the comments!

Up until now, I have allowed anyone to post their comments here immediately. Recently I have received a few manageable comment spams which I delete as soon as I see them. But to avoid wasted time and energy, I need to be able to manage them effectively.

Therefore, I am putting a protective measure into place. I will set my comments to moderation. For a short while, you will need to fill in the secret wobbly letters or numbers to prove that you are a real person, not a spam robot. Please take the time to go through this extra step, just for a while until the robots go away.

Your comments matter. There’s no doubt about it. I particularly enjoy reading
what you have to say on any particular blog post here. I want you to
feel that my site is a safe place to be. And I want to know what you are thinking. I am energized and invigorated from reading legitimate remarks from real people like you – engaged readers adding thoughtful
and insightful discussion to my content.

Don't worry about my links in these blog posts. They are safe. Just don't click links in readers' emails or tempting sales websites in their comments. Meanwhile, you can always comment on my Instagram posts where blocking spammers is easy and there are no problems for readers who want to comment.

It is a shame that they can make life a touch harder for the rest of us...or much harder if you are tricked by them. I never mind a blog where the comments are moderated. Here goes...let's see if it works.